


Little Lion Heart

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 07:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15286911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: @pillarspromptsweekly fill #45: Bit Parts. There are so many minor characters I want to write about I started a list. :P First up: Derrin.





	Little Lion Heart

**Author's Note:**

> @pillarspromptsweekly fill #45: Bit Parts. There are so many minor characters I want to write about I started a list. :P First up: Derrin.

 

As long as he could remember, Derrin had wanted to be a big brother.

It was fun, of course, being the only child. Sometimes. He enjoyed being able to run among the ships at the dock, gawking up at the tall masts and listening to the sailors’ stories without worrying about anyone keeping up. But there weren’t a lot of kids in Ondra’s Gift and most were years older or younger, which meant he spent a lot of time playing by himself.

And so Derrin wished and hoped and prayed every chance he got. He didn’t much care whether it was a brother or sister, he just wanted a younger sibling. And one of the gods must’ve heard him, because Mama got pregnant. She and Father were much less excited than Derrin. Mama cried, Father’s face got hard, and Derrin knew they were worried about having another mouth to feed. They already went hungry at least one day most weeks. Or at least, Mama and Derrin did. Father was at work most days, so Derrin didn’t know if he got to eat. Many days, he caught Mama worrying, one hand rubbing her stomach, extra mending from the neighbors forgotten on the table.

“It’s alright, Mama,” he said. “I’ll help. The baby can have some of my food. I don’t need _all_ of it. I”m growing fine. See?” He made a muscle with one scrawny arm. “I can protect it.”

Mama smiled and wiped away her tears, brushing her fingers through his hair before giving his arm a playful squeeze. “You are my strong, brave lion. It’s very sweet of you to offer, but remember babies drink milk. He or she won’t be able to eat your food. But they will certainly need protecting. Babies are very small, after all.”

“I know _that_ , Mama,” Derrin protested. “If the baby can’t eat my food _you_ can have it. That’ll help, right?”

Mama’s smile looked sad. “It would, sweetheart, but you need to eat, too. It’ll help you stay big and strong so you can look out for the baby, how’s that?”

He was still pretty sure Mam needed it more, but he nodded. “Okay.”

They talked a lot about the baby after that, while Father was at work. Derrin could tell Mama was getting excited now, like him, even if she was still nervous. Derrin rattled on for hours, drawing stick figures in the dirt floor of their house, dreaming of all the adventures he would have with his new brother or sister. When they were old enough, of course. Sometimes he went long enough Father got home to hear some of his plans, and while Derrin couldn’t be sure, he thought maybe Father was looking forward--just a little--to it, too.

And then Little Sister was born, and something wasn’t right. Derrin tried to get her to smile, but she wouldn’t even look at him. Father cursed and called her Hollowborn and started drinking more and more. Mama cried and tried to nurse her and cried again. Neither of them would name her.

“What’s the blazing point?” Father growled when Derrin asked. “Names are for living things.”

So Derrin called her Little Sister and ran down to the docks to talk to someone, because that sounded _bad_. Most of the sailors shooed him away, but Marceno must have been off duty, because he asked what was wrong.

Derrin hesitated, picking at a blister, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “What’s a Hollowborn?” 

Marcena frowned. “A baby born without a soul. Why?”

 _Don’t tell anyone_ , Mama warned him every time he left the house, so Derrin shrugged. “Mama keeps worryin’ the baby will be one, an’ won’t tell me why.” He felt bad lying to Marceno, but he’d promised not to tell. “Are they bad luck?”

Marceno made a face. “Some people think so. Others say they’re just more helpless.” He reached over and awkwardly patted Derrin’s shoulder. “I’ll hope for the best, boy.”

“Thank you.” Derrin’s blister started to weep, his fingers going still a second too late. “Ow!”

Marceno shook his head and handed Derrin a relatively clean rag. “You should know better than that by now.”

Derrin nodded and thanked him again before scampering off. He hoped Marceno didn’t run into Father at the Salty Mast and mention what they talked about. Derrin was pretty sure he’d be in trouble if Father found out.

Still, there wasn’t anything else to do right now--maybe later when more ships came in--so he headed home to see if Mama needed his help. He couldn’t take care of the mending, of course, but he could watch Little Sister so Mama didn’t worry. 

It wasn’t like Little Sister did much.

He was halfway home when he heard a yelp. Not a people-yelp, a dog-yelp. It was followed by people laughing, though, and Derrin ran. The sounds were coming from a narrow alley behind Aefre’s house, and he reached the mouth of it just in time to see a rock miss the beagle puppy cowering next to a crate and bounce off the wall instead.

“Stop it!” he hollered, hands balling into fists, and stood his ground when the two bigger boys--Connor and Cedric--spun around and glared at him.

“Why, runt? It’s only a dog,” Connor sneered.

“No one cares about it, either,” Cedric said as he palmed another rock. “It’s just a stray.”

“ _ **I**_ care!” Derrin retorted, moving to stand in front of the dog, which pressed against his legs. “I won’t let you hurt it!”

“Really, now?” Cedric dropped the rock and gave him a menacing look.

“Really.” Derrin crossed his arms. He wasn’t afraid of them. Not too much. Connor took a step closer and slapped him and the beagle growled from behind Derrin’s legs. Both older boys’ attention flicked to the dog for a second, and Derrin took advantage to kick dirt up in Connor’s face. Just because he wasn’t afraid of them didn’t mean he could actually fight them. Better to get the dog safe. He scooped up the puppy, dodged past Cedric, and bolted.

Something hard--a rock, probably--hit his shoulder and he almost fell. But after several minutes of running, Derrin and the beagle were safe. He set the puppy on the ground and looked in its sad eyes. “You’re safe now. I’m pretty fast, so I bet they don’t know where to look for you.”

The puppy whined and pawed his leg.

“No, you can’t come home with me, we don’t have enough food. You’d starve.” He scratched between its floppy ears. “I have an idea, though...” Cartugo was always interested when the children living in the Gift brought him things he could sell. Talking him into taking a dog might be tricky, but Derrin could wheedle with the best of them.

>.<

He was successful at convincing Cartugo to take the dog. He was _not_ successful at avoiding Connor and Cedric on his way home. Or at hiding the resulting black eye and split lip from Mama when he got back.

“Ah, my little lion,” she sighed as she helped him clean up. “Who were you protecting this time?”

“A puppy,” Derrin said, trying not to flinch as she held his bruised shoulder. Mama was worried enough as it was, he didn’t want to make it worse. “Older boys were throwin’ rocks at it.”

“Derrin...”

“I couldn’t just let them hurt it!” he protested. “It was practice, for takin’ care of Little Sister!”

Mama’s face softened, and she cupped his chin in one hand to kiss his forehead. “You’re plenty brave enough as it is, little lion. You don’t need to practice.”

“Still wouldn’ta let ‘em hurt it,” he grumbled. “Woulda been wrong...”

“You can’t save everyone, Derrin,” Mama said softly, smiling but sad.

Derrin cocked his head and clumsily brushed hair out of his face, wincing as he hit the bruising around his eye. “I know, Mama. “ He patted her hand before scurrying over to Little Sister’s cradle to check on her, the thought forming as he tried without success to get her to look at him. _But I can try._


End file.
